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'Whiz Kid' McNamara Could Not Escape Vietnam

By Harry Kimball,  Newser Staff

Posted Jul 6, 2009 3:58 PM CDT
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(Newser) – Robert McNamara led many careers but will be best remembered for his time as secretary of defense during the Vietnam War. Though he privately disagreed with some decisions, he maintained a public optimism about “McNamara’s War” that earned him derision, Reuters reports. Describing the impact of the war that got away for Newsweek, Evan Thomas writes: “He was a man who wanted to, needed to, be in control. And he could not be that man—no one can.”

Birch Bayh describes the almost tragic circumstances of McNamara’s time at the Pentagon.  “He did the best he knew how to do," the former senator tells Politico. "He had no military experience himself and was relying on people on the ground. They gave him very bad information and he acted on it. But who do you turn to at that point?” Until the end, Thomas writes, McNamara struggled with "the balance sheet of his life."

Robert McNamara in 2001.
Robert McNamara in 2001.   (AP Photo)
Robert S.McNamara in 1961.
Robert S.McNamara in 1961.   (AP Photo)
Robert McNamara in Vietnam in 1962.
Robert McNamara in Vietnam in 1962.   (AP Photo)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 4 comments
Jeebus
Jul 7, 2009 6:07 AM CDT
Nixon had to rearrange things in hell to make room for his new room mate.
bewilderbeast
Jul 7, 2009 1:29 AM CDT
And here we get a clear glimpse into America's big problem: Its need - LUST - for "Whiz Kids" "Heroes" "Gurus" - bullshitters all. Maestro Greenspan was infallible - yes? Whiz Kid Kissinger was infallible - right? Abraham Lincoln was a god - huh? JFK was a saint - right! Grow up, America. Stop believing your own biased press. Or Hollywood's "America is always right" BS. Know: 1. The story cannot always be neatly packaged; 2. America is not always right; 3. There are 6200 million other human beings who are every bit as important as you 350 million "chosen ones"; 4. You are probably being lied to most times.
JonmarkP
Jul 6, 2009 10:10 AM CDT
Whiz kid? Define "whiz." His legacy at Ford included the Edsel. So when another of his brainchildren, the B-1 Bomber, developed massive cost overruns it became known throughout the aerospace industry as "the flying Edsel." McNamara was as just as competent as another Whiz Kid - Donald Rumsfeld.

McNamara reflected on his own life in 2002
Esquire

Politics • US

 
Pentagon • Vietnam War • defense secretary • legacy • Pentagon Papers • appreciation • Robert McNamara • Evan Thomas • Birch Bayh

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